APL Semakin Menyempit, Papua Butuh Lahan Baru untuk Investasi

JAYAPURA -  Pemerintah Provinsi Papua menilai ketersediaan Areal Penggunaan Lain (APL) saat ini tidak lagi memadai untuk kebutuhan pembangunan dan investasi. Dari total 611.124,01 hektare APL yang ada, sekitar 261.345 hektare atau 42,76 persen telah terbebani izin lokasi.

Plt. Kepala Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan, Riset dan Inovasi Daerah (Bapperida) Papua, Jimmy Thesia, menyatakan kondisi ini menjadi tantangan bagi pengembangan sektor riil. Sebab, sebagian besar lahan potensial masih berada dalam kawasan hutan produksi, konservasi, maupun suaka alam.

Untuk mengatasi keterbatasan ini, Pemprov Papua mengusulkan perubahan fungsi kawasan hutan seluas 824.040,95 hektare. Usulan ini akan dibahas lintas sektor bersama Kementerian Kehutanan, BWS, BPN, serta pelaku usaha yang telah memiliki izin namun belum dapat melaksanakan aktivitas investasi.

Menurut Jimmy, proses verifikasi dan klarifikasi terhadap potensi riil di lapangan menjadi langkah penting. Hal ini untuk memastikan pemanfaatan ruang yang sesuai serta mencegah tumpang tindih kewenangan antara pusat dan daerah.

“Kalau tidak kita petakan dan fungsikan ulang, akan melanggar ketentuan. Contohnya seperti di Koya, kawasan itu awalnya pertanian, tapi kini sudah jadi pemukiman. Irigasinya pun harus dikaji, apakah tetap jadi kewenangan pusat atau provinsi,” tambahnya.

Pemprov Papua berharap revisi Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah bisa mengakomodasi kebutuhan pembangunan secara legal dan terstruktur. Perubahan ini dinilai krusial agar investasi di Papua bisa berjalan lebih optimal, tanpa melanggar aturan kehutanan dan tata ruang yang berlaku. ***

JAYAPURA – The Papua Provincial Government has determined that the current availability of Other Use Areas (APL) is insufficient to meet development and investment needs. Out of a total of 611,124.01 hectares of Other Use Areas, approximately 261,345 hectares, or 42.76 percent, are already encumbered with location permits. 

Acting Head of the Papua Regional Development Planning, Research, and Innovation Agency, Jimmy Thesia, mentioned that this situation poses a challenge for real sector development, as most of the potential land is still categorized as production forest, conservation areas, or nature reserves.  To address this limitation, the Papua Provincial Government has proposed a change in the designation of forest areas covering 824,040.95 hectares. This proposal will be discussed across sectors with the Ministry of Forestry, the River Basin Agency, the National Land Agency, and entrepreneurs who already hold permits but have not been able to advance their investment activities. 

According to Jimmy, verification and clarification of real potential on the ground are crucial steps to ensure proper spatial utilization and to avoid overlapping authorities between the central and regional governments.  “If we don't map and reassign land functions, it will violate regulations. For example, in Koya, the area was originally designated for agriculture, but now it has become a residential zone. The irrigation system must also be reviewed—whether it remains under central or provincial authority,” he added.

The Papua Provincial Government hopes that the revision of the Regional Spatial Plan can legally and structurally accommodate development needs. This change is considered crucial to ensure that investment in Papua can proceed more optimally, without violating existing forestry and spatial planning regulations. ***